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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24164245">Don't Pity Me</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/ladeedadaday/pseuds/ladeedadaday'>ladeedadaday</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Mean Girls (2004), Mean Girls - Richmond/Benjamin/Fey</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst, Depression, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Sad, Self-Harm, Self-Hatred, Sleep Deprivation, Takes place in senior year</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-05-14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-05-14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-02 21:13:27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,085</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24164245</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/ladeedadaday/pseuds/ladeedadaday</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Just your typical "Janis is depressed, her friends try to help her" story. </p><p>TW: Self-harm</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Cady Heron &amp; Damian Hubbard &amp; Janis Sarkisian, Cady Heron &amp; Janis Sarkisian, Cady Heron/Janis Sarkisian, Damian Hubbard &amp; Janis Sarkisian</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>40</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Don't Pity Me</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>She groaned before sliding into her seat for lunch. "What's wrong, love?" She almost scoffed. Everything was wrong. Her teachers hated her, except for Ms. Norbury, she couldn't walk in the hallways without getting called a space dyke, and she was lucky if she didn't get slapped or touched while she was just trying to get to her next class. But she knew it would just be easier for everyone around here if she didn't bother complaining. </p><p>"I hate everything." He gasped loudly. </p><p>"Janis Sarkisian! You hate me?" She rolled her eyes, too tired to make a sarcastic remark, she just whimpered. Damian took her limp, bony hand and ran his fingers over it. He kissed her knuckles, not knowing how he could comfort her. </p><p>She felt Cady's hand begin to rub her back. "Damian, don't tease her, she's clearly not doing so well." Janis willed herself to say that she was okay, but she couldn't manage more than another weak whimper. "It's gonna be alright, Janis." Cady whispered in her ear, combating the other voice that constantly whispered things like, 'you'll never be good enough. Just give up. No one wants you alive. You'd be happier if you just killed yourself, but you're so pathetic, you can't even do that.' Eventually, she learned to let Cady's voice be the only one she heard. "It's okay to feel upset. We're always here for you, Jan. We love you."</p><p>Janis hummed. She could feel someone sitting down in the seat next to her. "What's up with Janis?" Oh, it's just Regina.</p><p>"I'm not sure. Just not a good day, I'm guessing." Try not a good lifetime. "I wish I could make it all better, Janis." </p><p>"You kinda do." She whispered. Cady didn't respond, however she did pull Janis up so she could lean against Cady. Cady ran her finger's through Janis's tangled hair, carefully pulling apart the knots so it wouldn't hurt her. </p><p>"I need to talk to you after school. Is that okay?" Janis managed a little 'mhm,' Which Cady found unfairly adorable, and Janis's punishment was kisses. Everywhere. "Now maybe that'll teach you to stop being so cute." Janis pouted. Cady kissed it away, laving Janis with a dorky grin on her face. "You feel a little bit better now?" Janis nodded. Regina gagged next to her.</p><p>"Too much love, ew!" </p><p>Janis lifted her head from it's resting place on Cady's shoulder. "Regina, shut up, I'm depressed!" Cady laughed. </p><p>"When Janis is depressed she only talks to tell Regina to shut up." Damian laughed, happy to see Janis smiling again, even though the light was still missing from her eyes. "Jokes aside, you know you don't have to pretend to be happy around us, right?" She nodded, wrapping her arms around Cady's waist. "Okay. I love you." </p><p>"I love you, too." </p><p>"How nice of you." She stuck out her tongue. </p><p>[AFTER SCHOOL] </p><p>Janis really wasn't expecting Cady to climb in through her window so when she did, she rushed to throw her jacket back on, but she was too slow. "Janis..." Cady whispered, tears welling up in her eyes. She threw her arms around Janis. </p><p>"I'm so sorry, Caddy." Cady wiped at her eyes. "I didn't mean to start but I did and I got addicted and I can't stop." </p><p>"You don't need to apologize. I'm just sorry we haven't made you feel safe enough to talk about this stuff with us." Cady took her hand and squeezed, crying openly. janis was crying, too, but she kissed away Cady's tears. </p><p>"Cady... I'm okay." </p><p>She sniffled. "No, you're not, Jan. And it's okay to not be okay, I need you to know that." Cady held her arm and observed her scars; there were a lot of them and she could tell the recent ones apart from the old. "Can I get Damian to come over so we can all talk?" Janis nodded wordlessly. </p><p>Within the next fifteen minutes, Damian was climbing through the window and scooping Janis up into his arms to hold her. "Janis, sweetheart, I'm so sorry." </p><p>"It's my fault, not yours." She mumbled into his shoulder. "You didn't cut me." </p><p>He held her tighter, and Cady spoke up. "I need you to answer a few questions for me, baby."</p><p>"I can do that." Janis whispered. "Nothing too hard, right?" </p><p>"Nothing too hard." Cady echoed. "First, when was the last time you slept?"</p><p>It took Janis a minute to think about the last time she actually had slept. "A few weeks ago, I'm pretty sure." </p><p>Cady sniffed, kissing Janis's hand. "Okay. Well, you're sleeping tonight. I'll make sure of it. Second question, have you eaten recently and what did you eat if you did?" </p><p>This question she answered almost right away. "I ate at lunch. I had a sandwich and a bag of chips. I don't have an eating disorder, I promise." </p><p>"Okay. That's good. Where do you keep your razors?" Janis sighed, biting her lip.</p><p>Cady had to give her a pointed glare to get her to answer. "Bathroom cabinet." Cady stood up and searched through the entire cabinet, making sure there was nothing left that Janis could use to hurt herself with. </p><p>"You're doing so good." Janis sighed again, avoiding eye contact. "You are, love. You answered all my questions and you were honest with me. You're doing amazing. Alright?" Janis nodded. Damian let go of her so Cady could hold her. </p><p>"Jan, you told me that you stopped cutting." She looked up at him, absolute <em>horror </em>in her eyes. "I'm not upset, darling, I just want to know why." </p><p>"I stopped during the summer but school started again and I didn't know how to deal with it. I'm sorry, Damian." She sniffed. </p><p>Cady ran her fingers through Janis's hair to calm her. Janis leaned into the touch, moaning quietly. "I know you like that. Does it make you feel better?" </p><p>"Uh-huh." A small smile was on her face, and it was tiny, but it was there and that's all that mattered to Cady. </p><p>"We're going to do whatever you need us to do so that we can help you get better. You're allowed to feel how you feel. It's okay." Janis wriggled out of Cady's arms, lying down on the bed, facing up to the ceiling. </p><p>"Am I ever going to get better?" Cady didn't answer but instead leaned down and kissed Janis, conveying more than thousands of words possibly could. "Can we all cuddle and watch a movie?" </p><p>"Always." </p>
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